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Post subject: Changing Pickups in MIM Jazz bass.
Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:30 pm
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Hey guys, I'm thinking about upgrading the pickups in my MIM Jazz bass. Any suggestions and hints would be helpful. If this thread has already been done I apologize for that, just direct me to the proper thread.

Thanks


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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 2:47 pm
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I put a set of Bill Lawrence www.billlawrence.com Jazz Bass pickups in my MIM Jazz Bass. They sound excellent!!!!!

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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 3:53 pm
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Thank you Mr. Feathers, I'll check it out. 8)


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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 2:22 am
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A lot of which pickup to get depends on what sort of sound you are after too.

I agree with Mr. Feathers that the WILDE BRAND PICKUPS BY BILL LAWRENCE are an excellent value. I have one in my P/J bass. One important note about them. BILL LAWRENCE BRAND pickups and WILDE PICKUPS BY BILL LAWRENCE are two completely different things. Years ago Mr. Lawrence sold off his pickup brand name "BILL LAWRENCE PICKUPS" like Leo Fender sold off FENDER and moved on. His current pickups are called "WILDE PICKUPS BY BILL LAWRENCE." The old Bill Lawrence brand are decent pups, but are older designs. Meanwhile the Wilde pickups are Bill Lawrence's very latest and greatest. He sells direct from his website. I find my Wilde J pickup sounds very full and rich.

I really like the Lindy Fralin pickups, especially the SPLIT WOUND pups which do away with the inherent hum in single coil pickups like J-basses. They also sound much more like a modern P-bass than any other J-pickup around. They are pricey but worth it because they are far quieter than any traditional J-pickup.

Hardly anyone makes more bass replacement pickups than Seymour Duncan. As with the WILDE pups I like their value when compared to custom pups. You can see their pickup selector chart for bass pickups to see what they recommend for each style music. I use one. The QUARTER POUNDER is the favorite of many players of both J's and P's.

Then there are the FENDER NOISELESS which are very popular too.

So again, it comes back to what sort of sound you are after.

You can find links to the sites for these and other pickup makers from the REPLACEMENT/UPGRADE BASS PARTS link on my resources page below. Most of the online Fender dealers offer the Fender Noiseless pickups.


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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 10:08 pm
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Thanks Dave, I appreciate the input. 8) :D


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Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2009 7:50 pm
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I dropped a set of Custom Shop 60's in my old Classic 60's Jazz and really liked the sound - mucho growl, more girth to the lows and a smoother, more musical high end.

Jason Lollar also makes some stellar replacement J pups.


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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:48 pm
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I've had a set of Semour Duncan Quarter Pounders in my MIM J for about 3 years and they are incredible! After I dropped them in, I actually had the soundman approach me at two different gigs to ask what I had in there. Then I played in another group last summer and the guys in that band could not believe the tone of my bass. One of the guys actually phoned me up and asked to borrow my bass for a week so he could re-record the bass tracks on his solo demo recordings. I can't say enough good things about those pickups.
Spend another $10 and do the push/pull pot series/parallel mod and you'll have yourself a tone monster!


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Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 4:48 am
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Replacing pickups well depends on personal choice:

If you want modern, dirty, deep, fat, fingerstyle, punchy tones go for DiMarzio Model J's and be sure to replace the pots or if possible have a push pull option for versatility.
BP gave these top tone awards years ago but its not really vintage sounding, its more on humbucking jazz

For modern Slap playing give DiMarzio Ultra Jazz a try, they are clean, percussive, and scooped mids.

For vintage tones, of course go for Fender Originals well that's what the name stands for "Original"

Fender Custom Shop 60's are more like overwounded vintage pickups, and these have the grind of the low mids and growl of the high mids which is favored by many, but watch out, these pickups are slightly bigger

Seymour Duncan Antiquity I sounds cool in a way its a lot more middy and rounded highs

Antiquity II as Seymour stated these are similar pickups he wounded for Jaco Pastorius. Its more like a vintage tone with tamed highs and extended bottom

Basslines SJB-1 sounds more like Duncans rather than vintage, they're warm, clear, and has complex high mids which can also be good for popping and slapping

I haven't heard of Aero Type 1 and Nordstrand NJ4 but I heard they're good..


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